Rolling mill



July 14,1959 (2. F. HAUTAU 2,894,422

' ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 22, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

7 CHARLES F. HAUTAU ATTORNEY July 14, 1959 c. F., HAUTAU 2,894,422

ROLLING mu.

Filed Nov. 22, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORL CHARLES F. HAUTAU ATTORNEY c. F. HAUTAU 2,894,422

ROLLING um.

July 14, 1959 4 SHeets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 22, 1954 INVENT OR.

CHARLES F. HAUTAU ATTORNEY July 14, 1959 c, u'r u 2,894,422

ROLLING MILL Filed Nov. 22, 1954' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 CHARLES F. HAUTAU BY %%M ATTO RN EY United States Patent 2,894,422 ROLLING MILL Charles F. Hautau, Huntington Woods, Mich.

Application November 22, 1954, Serial No. 470,425

1 Claim. (Cl. 80-16) This invention relates to rolling mills and more particularly to a mill for rolling radially symmetrical sections.

The mass production rates common to the metal working industries today necessitate the development of processing equipment which is completely automatic. The present invention contemplates a rolling mill which is electrically and hydraulically controlled so as to constitute a completely automatic unit. An automatic feed picks up work blanks from the preceding operation and delivers the finished pieces to a subsequent operation.

An object of the invention is to provide a mill having a stationary Workholder and rotating rollers so that the rotation need not be stopped when a new workpiece is fed into the mill, as is done on prior devices of this nature. This novel feature allows the loading time to be substantially reduced, conserves the power used to start and stop the rotating member, and results in few machine breakdowns.

Another object of the invention is to provide means with which the workpiece may be moved into contact with the rotating rollers, in contrast to the method of the prior art in which the rollers were moved into contact with the workpiece. This feature allows the vertical position of the workpiece to be varied in timed relation with the radial movement of the rollers, so that a radially nonlinear section may be rolled.

A further object of the invention is to provide servo means for controlling the position of the workpiece with respect to the rolls.

A further object is to provide means whereby the rollers may be moved radially with precision at a controlled variable rate.

Another object is to provide magnetic means for securing the workpiece to the workholder.

A further object is to provide a mill of such construction as will allow continuous automatic operation with a minimum of downtime, and will produce a workpiece of superior dimensions.

Other objects and advantages will be made apparent by the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which refers to drawings to which:

Fig. l is an elevation section of the machine taken along lines 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is an elevation section of the machine taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail of the workbed control mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail of the loading mechanism.

A workpiece designated W.P., when in a working position, is supported on a cylindrical support which is an extension of a piston 11. The piston 11, moves in a hydraulic cylinder 12. Annular seals 13 are set in grooves in the periphery of the piston and act as oil seals. The piston 11 has a hollow center which is partially enclosed at its lower end by a mounting flange 15A. A mounting bracket 15B is fixed to the flange 15A and serves to support a hydraulic cylinder 16. The cylinder 12 has an internal cylindrical pilot 17 which serves as a means of servicing the cylinder 16. Cylinder 16 is a double extended hollow rod cylinder. An internal pilot rod 18 extends through the center to cylinder 16 and is fixed at its lower end to the bracket 15B. The rod 18 acts as a centering pin for the purpose of aligning the work blank W.P. on the support 10. The outer piston rod 19 serves to disengage the workpiece from the support 10 when the rolling is completed.

The cylinder 12 is supported by supports 20 and 21. Both are internally braced by cross members 22. The supports 20 and 21 are of welded construction. A cylindrical top 23 of similar welded construction, braced by cross-members 24 is supported on the members 20 and 21. The side members 20 and 21 support the outer race of an annular high speed ball bearing 25. An outwardly oriented ring gear 26 is integral with the inner race of the bearing 25. Two electric motors 27 are supported in the top 23 with their output shafts downward. Their shafts carry gears 28 which mesh with the ring gear 26. The motors 27 are located at diametrically opposite points in the top 23, and thus cancel out any unbalanced thrust against the ring gear 26.

A disk shaped plate 29 is carried on the inner race of the ring bearing 25. Two pairs of roller bearings 30 and 31, 32 and 33 are fixed to the lower side of plate 29 so that a line through each pair is radially directed. A screw shaft 34 and 35 is carried by each pair of bearings 30 and 31, 32 and 33.

A threaded roll carrier 36 and 37 is mounted on each of the screw shafts 34 and 35. Rolls 38 and 39, being of basically cylindrical shape and having bulges in their surfaces at their radially inward ends, are carried on shafts 40 and 41, which are mounted in the carriers 36 and 37. The weight of the carriers 36 and 37 are carried on hardened ways 42 which are supported off of the disk 29 by a member 43.

At their radially inward ends the screw shafts 34 and 35 extend through the bearings 31 and 32 and carry bevel gears 46 and 47. Both of the bevel gears 46 and 47 are in mesh with and driven by a third bevel gear 48 which is driven by the output shaft of a direct current electric motor 49. The motor 49 is supported in the center of disk 29 and its shaft extends through the disk. The motor 49 therefore rotates with the disk 29 and it must be fed current through the slip rings 50.

The rotational rate of the screw shafts is therefore equal to the diiference between the rotational velocity of the disk 29 and the shaft of the motor 49. The speed of the motor 49 is accurately controlled by a positively variable voltage control.

The motor 49 has a double ended shaft. The upper end of the shaft is screw-cut 51 and a lead nut 52 rides the screw. An electric clutch-brake 49B and 490 is connected on the shaft below the screw 51. The brake is arranged so as to rigidly connect the motor frame with the shaft and the clutch is arranged to disengage the screw 51 from the shaft. A gear rack 53 is integrally connected to the lead nut 52 and moves with it. The rack 53 moves on hardened ways 54. As is seen in Figure 3 a gear 55 is supported so as to be rotated by the translation of the rack 53. The gear 55 drives a shaft 56 which communicates, through bevel gears 57, shaft 58, and bevel gears 59 with a screw shaft 60. Thus the screw 60 turns in timed relation with the shaft of the motor 49 and therefore of the radial motion of the rolls 38 and 39. A cam 61 rides on the screw 60 and guides the follower of a hydraulic tracer valve 62. The valve 62 is mechanically connected to the work support 10, and the valves hydraulic output is fed to the cylinder 12 which moves the piston 11. Therefore the workpiece W.P. is moved vertically in a timed pattern which is determined by the position of the rolls 39 and 40 and the shape of the cam 61.

The complete cycle, including the loading operation, "is carried on automatically, through the use of limit switch initiated electric and hydraulic circuits. These circuits, which are of the type normally used with such machines, do'not constitute part ofthe invention and are notshown inthe drawings.

The blank workpieces W.P. 1 are stacked on aplate 82 which is supported by ahollowshaft 63 of a'hydraulic "cylinder64, which is set in the floor. A secondhydraulic cylinder65 is carried internally of'the hollow shaft 63 and its rod 66 serves as a locating pin for the work 'blanks WiP. 1.

Each time a work blank is removed from the stack the cylinder 64 raises its rod a sufiicient distance to place 'the top blank in position forrpickup by the transfer jaws "67A and 67B. The cylinder 65 thenlowers itsrod66 a suflicient distance to free the top blank. The jaw'67A moves in on a free work blank along hardened ways 68 under the power of'a hydraulic cylinder 69. A rack 70, connected to the jaw 67Arotates a pinion gear 71 which in turn moves a second rack 72 which is connected to the second jaw 67B. Thus the two jaws close in on a free work blank. Two additional jaws 73A and 73B are integral with the jaws 67A and 67B. While the jaws 67A and 67B are picking up a blank workpiece the jaws 73A and 73B are picking a-comp1eted workpiece oil of the work support 10.

When the jaws have closed they then move ina .direc- .tion perpendicular to their line of action in closing,.along the ways 74. The jaws are moved in this direction .under the influence of a hydraulic cylinder 75. T hecylinder 75 carries a pinion gear 76 in a yoke77. 'The gear 76 rides against afixed rack 78 and reacts againsta'rack 79 that .is .fixed to the jaws 67 .and 73. Thus the rack 78 moves at twice the speed of the pinionv gear 76.

The cylinder'75 moves the .jaws 67 and 73 to a position where the jaws 67 are lined up with the work support and the jaws 73 are over a roller conveyor 79. The cylinder 69 then retracts its rod, opening the jaws and depositing the workpieces on the support 10 and :on the conveyor 79. The cylinder 75 thenretracts its rod and .the jaws-67 and 73 are returned to their original position, where they await the completion of the workpiece.

The work support 10 is in a:lowered positionin the cylinder 12 when it receives a blank workpiece, and the cylinder 16 has rectracted the knockout 19. As soon as the .jaws 67 have deposited their workpiece which is aligned by the pin 18, oil under pressure is introduced into the cylinder 12, and its force is exerted against the piston 11, lifting the support 10 and its workpiece into contact with the rolls 38 and 39. At this point the rolls 38 and 39 are at their radially inward extremity of travel and they are being rotated about a central vertical axis by the motors 27.

The pressure of the workpiece against the rolls 38 and '39is controlled by the hydraulic tracer valve 62 which follows the contour of the cam 61. Until the workpiece is brought-into contact with the rolls 38 and 39 the motor '49 is receiving no power and its shaft is being held stationary by the brake 49B. When the workpiece is 'brought into contact with the rolls .the brake 49B is disengaged, a controlled voltage is sent to the motor 49 "through "the 'slip rings 50 and "the motors shaft beg-ins rotating at a difierent speed than the motor stator. This causes the screws 34 and 35 to rotate and the carriers 36 and 37 move the rolls outward radially.

As the rolls 38 and 39 move outward the work support 10 moves toward and away from the rolls in accordance with the patternofthe cam 61.

At the end of therollsoutwa.rd movement the work support 10 lowers and the motor '49 is reversed so as to bring the rolls 38 and 39 'back to center and reset the cam 61.

Depending on the type of metal'being rolledit may be desirable to have the workpiece brought into closer contact with the rolls on succeeding passes. This can be accomplished by either raising the template after each pass or introducing a new template after each pass. By introducing a new template it becomes possible to take a pass which is'better adopted to-the partly rolled shape.

When the cam has returned to a starting position a limit switch (not shown) actuates the'brake 49B and the clutch 49C. The'brake 49B causes the shaft of the motor 49 to move with the frame, thereby stopping the rotation of the screw shafts .34 and 35. The clutch 49C disengages the screw sha'ft'51 from the motor 49 so that the cam 61 doesnot move. When the next rolling operation begins the clutch and brake are .de-actuated and the motor 49 is powered.

When the work support f1'0iis loweredfollowing the final pass of the rolls '38 and .39 the cylinder 16 extends its hollow rod 18 which raises the workpieceoflf of the pin 19 so that theworkpiece .may be picked up by the loading jaws 73.

Having thus described the invention whatis claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A rolling mill for rolling :tapered discs comprising a platen; means for moving the platen vertically; a rotatale roll support; means for rotatingsaid support; a pair of rolls on said support; roll moving-means for moving said rolls radially of said platen; a cam; means operated by said roll moving means for moving-said cam in a predetermined relation thereto; a cam follower; and means operated by said cam follower for actuatingsaid platen movingrneans, whereby the .distance between the rolls and platen .can be varied in accordance with said cam as said rolls move radially.

References Cited in'the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,262,780 Grifin Apr. 16, 1918 1,606,903 Smith Nov.16, 1926 1,606,904 Geer "Nov. 16, 1926 1,606,905 Smith Nov. 16, 1926 1,683,368 Nelson Sept. 4, 1928 1,739,854 Nelson Dec. 17, 1929 1,749,883 Ledwinka Mar. 11, 1930 1,922,087 Hiester Aug. 15, 1933 2,091,578 'Batie Aug. 31, 1937 2,406,219 Hight Aug. 20, 1946 2,653,561 Stiefelmayer "Sept. 29, 1953 

